San Bernardino resident David Guindon was reunited Thursday morning, Feb. 8, with his beloved, blue-eyed husky named Zeus. The dog had been missing for nearly two years and Guindon didn’t think he would be able to get it back, though it was microchipped.

With licks and a big tearful hug, 52-year-old David Guindon of San Bernardino was reunited Thursday, Feb. 8, with his beloved, blue-eyed husky at a shelter in Wildomar. The dog had been lost nearly two years.

“That’s my buddy,” he said, as he closed his eyes and let Zeus lick his face.

Thanks to Guindon’s foresight to microchip the dog, he was alerted recently that Zeus was living with a family in Lake Elsinore. But he also learned the family wanted to keep the dog — and that the microchip alone didn’t prove he was the original owner.

Then, to his surprise, he was informed Wednesday night the dog had been voluntarily turned in to the shelter.

The next morning, Guindon traveled to Wildomar. He was sitting in his motorized wheelchair, eyes shaded by sunglasses, when animal control officers brought the dog in. As Zeus approached, he removed the shades, leaned forward and reached out his right hand.

“He came right up to me, jumped up in my lap and gave me a hug and a kiss,” Guindon said. “I was fighting back the tears.”

Guindon gave Zeus a toy monkey. The dog responded with more licks.

He said the reunion ranked right up there with the birth of his children among the happiest moments of his life. They hadn’t seen each other since May 2016.

Given the time apart, he wasn’t sure how Zeus would react.

“The first thing that came to my mind was that I really hope he is mentally OK,” Guindon said. “He’s been through a lot.”

Zeus, who was missing for nearly two years, was reunited Thursday, Feb. 8, with his original owner, David Guindon of San Bernardino. Photo by Shane Newell, staff

Traveling to the Animal Friends of the Valleys shelter with Guindon was his daughter, Alyssa Guindon.

“I’m so stoked for my dad,” she said. “I haven’t seen him that excited in a long time.”

New family finds Zeus

It was a happy ending to a not-so-happy dispute that dragged on weeks.

Just before Christmas, a woman in Lake Elsinore phoned him to request his permission to re-register the dog under the microchip in her name. He declined. He said they spoke one other time, with the woman saying she couldn’t give the dog back because her son had become attached to him.

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But on Wednesday the woman voluntarily gave the dog up, said Monique Middleton, Animal Friends’ chief animal control officer.

Guindon said that was probably a response to newspaper and TV reports as well as social media chatter.

Nevertheless, Guindon said, “She did the right thing and took him to the animal shelter. I just want to say to her, ‘Thanks for doing the right thing.'”

Efforts to reach the woman on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Several days ago, Guindon said in an interview he was frustrated that police and animal control officers wouldn’t go get the dog. They told him he would have to file a civil lawsuit to get his pet back.

“Why is that?” he asked.

Microchips don’t prove ownership

Experts suggested that’s because under existing law a microchip registration does not necessarily prove ownership. Authorities said they simply didn’t have the legal authority to seize the dog.

Raphael Moore, an attorney in Davis and general counsel for the Veterinary Information Network, which serves 70,000 veterinarians, said flatly, “Microchips do not equate with ownership.”

In fact, Moore said, though veterinarians routinely scan for microchips, they may not contact the original owner without the consent of the person in possession of an animal. He said he hopes lawmakers change that.

Even so, he said, the happy ending for Guindon shows there remains an advantage to microchipping.

“I’ll still register my dog. It gives me incrementally better odds of reuniting,” Moore said. “But it shouldn’t be sold as a foolproof way of getting my animal back.”

Moore said the odds are that Guindon, had the standoff continued, would have eventually prevailed in a civil suit. Guindon said he considered suing, but delayed doing so in hopes Zeus would be voluntarily returned.

Zeus meets his ‘brother’

Guindon lost the dog nearly two years ago possibly because Zeus is particularly smart. He can do high-fives. He can turn lights on and off. He can also open doors. Guindon said his front door was open when Zeus vanished.

Not wanting the dog to disappear ever again, Guindon planned to buy a GPS collar.

Guindon said he had a stroke several years ago and lives alone. After being released from a rehabilitation center, he decided to get a canine companion.

Then Zeus vanished.

Devastated, Guindon sought another dog from the same husky breeder. At first, no puppies were available.